I stared at him through the open door, dusk had set and the stars shone in the sky, he smiled as he met my eyes and then looked past me to the children, sitting at the table and the meal, which was quickly becoming cool.

"It appears I've come early lass, I apologize, when should I return to pick you up for my tour?"

He smiled at waved at Thomas who had come to stand next to me when he had seen the stranger at the door. Looking back now to that moment long ago, I know I should have told him that I was unable to show him the countryside or that I was unwell, anything to keep him away from my family, from me.

But naively, Nay innocently for that's what I was then, I didn't know what evil was as I do now, didn't know that evil personified was standing on my doorstep charming me into his clutches.

I looked at him my mind processed what he had said and threw my life away in an instant by saying,

"Don't be silly sir, come in, come in and join us."

His eyes lit up in a smile as he crossed the doorstep and moved towards the table.

I pulled up a chair from in front of the fire and placed it at the head of the table where my pa used to sit.

He took off his hat and jacket and placed them on the back of his chair, declining my offer to hang them up somewhere properly, by saying,

"Hush Betsy, do not worry yourself, tis only a jacket not a life, it will be fine, now sit yourself down and eat, you look famished as does his little lordship there."

Smiling and indicating Thomas who was discreetly slipping mouthfuls of buttered bread into his mouth. I gave him a mock annoyed look and clucked my tongue at him.

I walked over to the counter before I sat down though to pull out an extra bowl in which I ladled out an extra portion of the stew and handed it to Angelus, which he accepted gladly. I sat back down at the table, and we all began to eat again, the broth was still fine despite being slightly cooler then it should have been although it was easier to eat.

"How is your sister? I hope that she's feeling better."

He looked at me for a moment, confused as if trying to figure out what I had asked him, and then as if the answer had come to him suddenly he smiled at me and said,

"Yes Drusilla is much better she has been much cheered by her... husband William returning from Venice to see her, she has greatly missed him and he has been unable to return before now due to.... business of a delicate kind. So it would be assumed that my presence is no longer to as essential as it has been to this point."

He stopped and took a slurp of his soup; I went on to ask him though once it appeared he had taken a break from it,

"So you shall be leaving us then?"

I was disappointed it pains me to say, but had made an impact on me, left a deep impression and I think that I might have loved him then, if not loved certainly admired. I had not many friends and would miss him if her left.

"No Betsy, I think I should like to stay here, graced in your beauty for a while longer it that's ok with you?"

My heart skipped a beat and colour rose to my cheeks, Bronnie and Esther giggled and nudged each other at my embarrassment, when I close my eyes I can still hear the untarnished beauty of their giggles, and the childish glows of their faces. Lost from sight thought they are, they are still in my heart.

When we had finished Angelus and I left fro our walk, the first of many over the year as we toured the country, and I began to loose my heart to evil.